The novelty of getting to drive is a long-awaited rite of passage for many, but after a few years of using your vehicle to get you from point A to B every single day, the excitement tends to wear off. The same goes for road trips. The first few hours are great, but after a while, you start to feel the strain on your eyes and body.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost 41,000 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2023. This is where autonomous cars come in. General Motors believes that self-driving technology is the key to a future where we not only get back our “precious time,” but will also “make driving safer, easier, and more enjoyable.”
This idea is attractive to busy bees, for travelers who would prefer to take in sights and sounds from the comfort of their own vehicle, long-distance drivers, or for those of us who drive out of necessity and not out of enjoyment. Who wouldn’t want to have your car drive you to work every morning, as you drink your coffee and do your Wordle in peace?
Well, over half of American drivers, as of February of this year.
While the idea seems good in theory, there are many ethical concerns that come into play with self-driving cars. The question of leaving snap decisions to an algorithm brings up several questions: How will vehicles react in an emergency? What is their course of action if a collision is guaranteed? Will they risk being hit by other vehicles to avoid running over an animal? Will natural occurrences like black ice or puddles be taken into account?
Who even gets to choose if someone lives or dies? You, the driver, or the company that created the algorithm? CBC Radio Canada examines these dilemmas with a pixelated thought experiment, where it was discovered that while we can all vaguely agree on specific preferences, there is no definitive answer.
Even as the first few vehicles have made their way into American cities, several instances have occurred where the vehicles have suffered a navigation glitch. One man in particular recorded himself trapped inside one of these vehicles as it just made circles in a parking lot, nearly missing his flight because of the error.
Crash prevention hasn’t been ironed out either. Between 2019 and 2024, there have been almost 4,000 incidents involving partially and fully self-driving vehicles (ADS and ADAS vehicles), with at least 83 fatalities as of June 2024. While these numbers aren’t in the tens or hundreds of thousands, these numbers leave little to be desired.
Morality aside, there are several other concerns about these vehicles. Safety concerns about hazardous weather, cybersecurity risks and data privacy, job displacement, environmental impact, and even potential legal issues could come into play if these cars become more common.
For the sake of human convenience, there’s a lot more work that needs to be done, especially in the safety department. Autonomous cars have the capacity to be something great, but with the pre-existing issues that already exist when it comes to automobiles, will they fix anything besides that?
